Rollaero Skate Center Closes After 42 Years In Business

CUDAHY, WI — Rollaero Skate Center announced it will permanently close after decades of operation and over a year of pandemic lows.

The spot planned to open back up this fall after pandemic closures and a "catastrophic" failure of the skating floor, a Facebook post from the business said in April. On Monday, the business announced the news that the opening will never happen.

"Unfortunately Rollaero is no more," the business said in a Facebook post. "We want to thank all of our customers that have come in and enjoyed it here. We will miss you all. Thank you for the many years."

Rollaero was open for 42 years and was family run. The business told people over Facebook that they should not start any crowd funding campaigns or anything. Rollaero was located at 5200 Pennsylvania Avenue in Cudahy.

Owners posted a farewell statement including reminiscences on memories Rollaero brought them:

"Rollaero took years to build. Dad would work a full day and then work on the rink after dinner until dark. Dad’s best friend, Ray, a mason, helped lay the bricks."

"He built it from salvaged materials, demolition from various jobs while working as a carpenter. The most notable item repurposed are the wood arches Mom and Dad purchased from the Pallomar Roller Rink, the place our parents first met. Our brother met his wife the same way at Rollaero."

"After 42 years operating Rollaero, our family has fond memories: Jimmy (Dad’s boss) walking the arches as they dangled high above the ground, Dad bending the maple boards to form the rotunda skating floor, Mom cutting and painting the Rollaero sign and silhouettes of skaters for the walls, opening night with teens lined up to the street, Mom organizing Halloween skating competitions, Uncle Adolph collecting tickets and singing at organ sessions, Aunt Marie running the snack bar (reprimanding us when needed) and the opportunity for each of us three kids to be involved. During any given session there was the dice game, red light – green light, conga, bell skate, limbo, bunny hop, shoot-the-duck, races, chicken dance, hokey-pokey, line-dancing during Rapper’s Delight, ladies-choice, couples skate, jam skating, fox trots, waltzes, “tiny bubbles” and all the skaters whose memories will be forever held within the rink's walls. We hope you have great memories of your own."